Disney Guests Forced Out After New Park Change, Signs Goodbye Letter

in Disney Parks

Dark Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland.

Credit: Raed Al-Jawad, Flickr

Disney fans are writing their goodbye letter to the parks, as it appears many loyal fans have officially been priced out of the parks, or no longer feel that the hundreds, if not thousands of dollars that they pay for their pass is worth the cost.

Disneyland Railroad entrance to park
Credit: Disney

Visiting the Disney parks used to be an affordable place to take your family on vacation, especially during the early 2000’s. I recently asked my dad how much he paid for our Walt Disney World vacations back when I was younger and traveling in to visit the most magical place on earth, with my family of seven, at the time. He told me that he was able to take all of us, including flights, Disney park tickets, transport, meals, and hotel costs, for under $5,000 during our 10-day trip. While $5000 was worth more 20 years ago than it is now, due to rising inflation costs, that same vacation would never be possible for that price, not even for a family of four.

As reported by the OC Register, “The cost of tickets to Disneyland has increased 351% from $43 in 2000 to $194 in 2023 — more than quadrupling the cost of admission on the most expensive days in less than a quarter century.”

Disney Characters posing in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle
Credit: Disney

On the contrary, Pewresearch stated, “Meanwhile, wage gains have gone largely to the highest earners. Since 2000, usual weekly wages have risen 3% (in real terms) among workers in the lowest tenth of the earnings distribution and 4.3% among the lowest quarter. ” So the average employee has seen a 3% wage increase while a Disney vacation has increased 351% on the ticket costs alone.

However, prices are still on the rise.

Below are the current tiers for Magic Keys, which are the Annual Passes for Disneyland Resort:

  • Imagine Key $499
  • Enchant Key $849
  • Believe Key $1249
  • Inspire Key $1649

While some of these prices may seem affordable, parking, which costs $35 each visit, is not free unless the highest Key is purchased, making each visit still have an associated cost with it. Magic Key’s have gone up in price, but Disney fans are still purchasing them, as the most recent “drop” and opening in sales is already closed, with Magic Key purchases only being available through renewal. So, if you do not have Key, you are not getting one anytime soon. 

Mickey Mouse holding a magic key annual pass inside of Disneyland Resort in California.
Credit: Inside The Magic

While some sales are increasing in a positive direction for Disneyland, others are writing their official goodbyes to the park. 

One Disney fan, Screaming4Ever took to Reddit to tell everyone that “it has been an honor”, but that they were leaving their Magic Key behind. They wrote, “I am unfortunately unable to pay to renew my Magic Keys, 19th and 20th will be my last trips to Disneyland for a while. God speed all you magic key renewals. Have a magical year, everyone!”

Interestingly enough, the post has received quite a few replies, many of which confirm the fact that the cost no longer justifies the experience for some, especially for those who are already in a crunch for money. 

Another soon-to-be ex-Magic Key holder wrote, “I’m also done this year I think. Everything has gotten too expensive”. Since 2021 alone, we have seen the highest key take a $250 price increase, and that is just within 2 years.

One Disney guest shared their recent experiences, “It might sound dramatic, but I feel like I’m fighting with the park every time I go. Fighting the lines (even when it’s not crowded wtf), fighting prices, fighting CMs (not really fighting – they’re the best, but they really seem like they don’t want to be there), fighting just to get in (reservations), the list goes on.

Mickey's Fun Wheel and Incredicoaster on Pixar Pier at Disneyland Resort's California Adventure
Credit: Brandi Alexandra via Unsplash

I used to step foot in the park, and my worries and outside life completely melted away. Now I’m concerned about how much every step I take is going to cost and how long it’s going to take. We’re slimming down from 12-15 visits a year to just 2.”

Some guests are taking the money that they are saving from reducing their Disney visits and using it to travel around the world. One Disney fan wrote, “I totally get this. My wife and I usually go 3-4 times a year and always during Halloween. Last year we went in January, and planned to go again for Oogie Boogie. We didn’t get tickets so we just didn’t go. We decided to go to Japan for 2 weeks instead and had no regrets lol. We love Disneyland, but the magic is gone and I’m not sure what Disney can do to bring it back.”

So, going to Japan for weeks on end, a trip that has always been quite costly for Americans as the flight alone can cost a couple thousand dollars, is now more affordable than Disney.

Another ex-Magic Key holder said, “Ours expired in October, and we didn’t renew. We had them for 2 years. It was fun, and we went a ton, but for a family of 4 we just couldn’t do it again. I know Disneyland will always be there for us.”

Avengers Campus and Guardians of the Galaxy -- Mission: BREAKOUT! at Disneyland Resort
Credit: Disney

Some replied that they could swing the cost financially but that the experience did not feel worth the price anymore. Many complained about park pack reservations limiting the spontaneity that a Magic Key holds and the block-out dates being too vast, limiting visits. Magic Key holders also have a rule they must abide to, which is that they cannot make a park reservation and not show up. If they do not show up three times, they will be blocked from the park for 30 days. 

Last summer, Touring Plans shared data that reflected park attendance was dropping, they said, “Much like Walt Disney World in Florida, Disneyland Resort has seen a decline in crowds, particularly at Disneyland Park.

In July 2022, the average crowd level at Disneyland Park between July 1 and July 23 was 7.2. However, this year it has dropped to 5.1, signifying a substantial difference. This means that if you waited 60 minutes at Disneyland’s Space Mountain last summer, you probably only waited 48 minutes this year.

Overall, it seems that the cost of a Disneyland vacation to visit Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure is just a little too high at the moment for some guests, which is forcing fans to say goodbye to Mickey Mouse, or as Disney would have it, “see ya real soon!”.

Do you think that the cost of a Disney vacation is too high? Have you been priced out? 

 

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